Overcoming Past Trauma for a Brighter Future

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Overcoming Past Trauma for a Brighter Future

We all experience traumatic events at various points in our
lives. We may be in or witness a car accident. We may have been the victim of
abuse or a violent crime. We may get stuck in an elevator on our way to the
office. Each of these events is traumatic. It is vital that you learn how to
overcome past trauma, regardless of how long ago it happened, so that you can
work toward a brighter future for yourself and your family.

How and when we deal with the event can affect how well we
cope afterwards. Getting back to normal after a trauma may require the
assistance of a professional, who can guide you through recovering from the
event using proven psychotherapy techniques.

Symptoms of Trauma

When you experience a trauma, you might not immediately
recognize the symptoms it can cause. You may convince yourself that you are
“over it” and are ready to move on with your life. Depending on the severity of
the trauma, especially on how much of an impact it did have on your life at the
time, you may experience recurring symptoms without even knowing they are
related to the traumatic event.

Research
has shown that trauma can trigger emotional and physical reactions that can actually
make you more prone to health conditions such as heart attack, stroke, obesity,
diabetes, and cancer.

The Importance of Self Care

Overcoming past trauma and moving toward a brighter future
involves not only recovering mentally and emotionally, but also physically. A
trauma can drain your physical health, as it disrupts your body’s natural
equilibrium. It is important to take care of yourself as you work through the
symptoms of trauma:

Exercise: Walk, run, swim, or do some
other type of active exercise at least 30 minutes a day. Exercise can help you burn
off adrenaline and release endorphins that are designed to make you feel better
physically. When you feel better physically, you are better equipped with work
toward a brighter future emotionally and mentally.

Sleep: Try to get into a regular sleep
pattern so your body can rest and recover, particularly if you’ve been through
a physical trauma.

Avoid self-medicating with alcohol or drugs:
Becoming dependent on alcohol or drugs to get through the day can actually
worsen the effects of your past trauma.

Seek the Support of Others

Whether your past trauma seemed minor or was a major event
in your life, quite often you need the support of others to deal with the
symptoms and move on to a better future. Support groups are helpful, as they
allow you to talk openly about the details of the event and about whether you
are still struggling to manage its effects. Talk therapy, a form of
psychotherapy, has also been found to be very helpful for people who are struggling
to overcome past trauma.

Getting Help, Moving Forward

Trauma can affect your life in many ways you may not
realize. You may feel as though you have sufficiently dealt
with a past trauma, but then something that you normally do, such as driving to
work or riding in an elevator, will trigger you to mentally revert to the
traumatic event. You can get help to focus on a brighter future.

Counseling will teach you how to handle the ongoing impact
of trauma in your life. You will learn how to cope with life’s challenges,
including those created by the memory of trauma, in a more constructive way.
Psychotherapy, in particular, is helpful when you have experienced a traumatic
or life-changing event such as the loss of a job, the death of a loved one, or
the end of an intimate relationship.

Psychotherapy is a form of talk therapy that gives you a
judgment-free zone to discuss your personal issues, some of which may be
intensely personal or sensitive. A licensed psychotherapist can help you move
forward by providing the tools you need to process complex or difficult
emotions and achieve greater satisfaction with your identity.

At R&A Therapeutic Partners, we help people find the
path for overcoming past trauma that works best for them. Your needs are unique
to you, and we make it our priority to identify the tools that keep you engaged
and thriving in your recovery. We encourage you to contact the Miami
interventionists Raymond
Estefania and Ana Moreno to find out the services R&A Therapeutic Partners offers.
Call us at 786-452-7352 to schedule your appointment.

At R&A Therapeutic Partners Raymond Estefania and Ana Moreno specialize in substance use and mental health disorder evaluations, treatment, intervention and therapeutic/educational consulting for clients throughout the greater South Florida area, as well as nationally and internationally. For more resources and information please visit Therapeutic-Partners.com or on Facebook.